Category: Safety Tips

Do You Have Copper or Aluminum Wiring? The Difference Matters.

Tasked with updating those ancient light switches in the kitchen? Standing in front of the hundreds of options available at the home improvement store, you narrow it down to two choices — one is $4, the other is 75 cents. But if you don’t know what type of wiring is in your home, it’s a decision that could cost you much more than the few dollar difference between the two switches.

Your home was built with either copper or aluminum wiring. Knowing which one you’re working with is critically important when considering any electrical improvements or repairs.

Due to the exorbitant cost of copper in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many homes built during this time have aluminum wiring. It was quickly discovered, however, that the quality of the aluminum being used put these homes at a higher risk for fires. A study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that homes built before 1972 and wired with aluminum are 55 times more likely to have an outlet wiring connection reach fire hazard conditions than those wired with copper. This risk can increase if the wrong replacement parts are used or if rewiring is done incorrectly.

Copper and aluminum wired electrical systems are not interchangeable. They require different types of wiring, switches and connectors, with the aluminum components often being quite a bit more expensive than their copper counterparts.

“Beyond making sure you are using the correct type of wiring and connectors, working with electricity is tricky and dangerous, with a risk for electrocution injuries, home fires and more,” CCFR Assistant Chief Steve Brown says. “When you are considering home improvement projects, leave the electrical projects to a qualified electrician. What might be a higher upfront investment will be worth it in the long run.”

Brown has witnessed these types of fires as recently as this year, when an improperly wired electric cooktop set a house ablaze right here in our community.

If you have a home built in the 1960s or ‘70s, it can be tricky to determine whether you have aluminum or copper wiring because of the way it was originally labeled. If you think you may have aluminum wiring, it is important to have your home evaluated by a qualified electrician to determine whether it should be replaced or repaired. When hiring an electrician, ensure they are licensed and have experience with both aluminum and copper wiring.

Still trying to decide which switch to get? It’s time to call an electrician.

Dreaming of your next vacation? Thinking of staying in a vacation rental (ie. Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) instead of a hotel? Before you make your reservations, make sure you read this first!

A 2018 study published in the journal Injury Prevention found that many Airbnb properties lack basic fire safety features. According to the study, 20 percent of Airbnb property owners did not report having smoke alarms; 42.5 percent did not report having carbon monoxide alarms; and 58 percent didn’t report having fire extinguishers.

While fire safety advocates have urged Airbnb and similar vacation or short-term rental companies to enforce current National Fire Protection Association fire safety standards, without uniform regulation across the country, it’s essential that travelers be proactive about fire safety at their home away from home.

If you decide to stay at an Airbnb, VRBO or other rental property while traveling this spring/summer, make sure to review this safety checklist from the NFPA:

• Do your homework before making a reservation. You should be able to find more information about local regulations online, which you can then discuss with the host before arrival. This is a good time to discuss the property’s preparedness for other emergencies (such as a power outage or natural disaster).
• Make a list that includes the property’s address, local emergency numbers, emergency contact information for the owner and notes from the owner about all escape routes/exits.
• Each room should have at least two ways to escape during an emergency.
• Upon arrival, do a walkthrough of the property to check for:
  • Working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every sleeping room and outside each sleeping area, as well as carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area.
  • Portable fire extinguishers that are easy to reach.
  • Exterior doors and windows that are easy to open.
  • Pathways clear of any tripping hazards.

By following this simple checklist and acting as your own fire safety advocate, you can relax and know that your vacation won’t go up in smoke!

May is National Electrical Safety Month!

Continue reading “National Electrical Safety Month”

Two spontaneous combustion fires hit local businesses.

Spontaneous combustion fires may sound like something out of a science fiction movie; unfortunately it is a dangerous situation that has hit two local businesses in the past year. In both of the incidents, freshly laundered towels placed on a counter caused a chemical reaction to occur, and a fire ensued.

When towels or other linens soiled with cooking oil or cleaning chemicals are washed in a normal washer and dryer they are not truly clean; residue remains on the linens. The heat of the dryer can start and accelerate the spontaneous heating process of the oil residue left in the towels. When they are piled together the heat has no way to escape and the natural material continues to heat up until a fire occurs. A similar reaction can occur if a washer or dryer used to launder soiled linens is not cleaned and well maintained.

We highly recommend that you send your laundry out to a commercial laundry service that has the proper equipment to handle these volatile oils and cleaning chemicals.

Tips to Avoid Spontaneous Combustion

• Use a commercial laundry service.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on all cleaning supplies and equipment.
• Do not leave items soiled by oil or other flammable items in a pile, even if they are freshly laundered.
• Make sure that the washer and dryer are clean and well maintained.
• If rags have been used for painting, wood-finishing or oil-based projects, hang them outside to dry, or place them in an airtight metal container that is placed away from the building, and do not launder them.

If you have any questions about how to keep your business safe, or if you would like CCFR firefighters to provide complimentary employee training on fire extinguisher usage, or other safety topics please do not hesitate to call us at 636.970.9700 or send us an email. With your help we can keep our community safe.